Singles - Drum & Bass - Issue 582

Sully

Vacancy

Uncertain Hour

Recently we’ve been gushing over Sully: his stripped back, dub infused jungle is simply to die for. So imagine our delight when the old inbox revealed his latest project: a new label, its output solely Sully, solely jungle. The first track shows us everything we need to know, with pounding hits of sub and hissing snare which continuously ticks away, pausing momentarily for a cascade of breaks. An eerie sense of death is cast over the track, with the occasional crashing of tides and solemn piano touches. Excellent.

Jade

'Awake'

Eatbrain

At the heart of this track lies a dark and contorted sub, which carries the remaining layers of sonic black magic like a sly, slithering serpent. Wrapping itself around that distorted, brooding bass is a beat which simultaneously shuffles and steps, creating an ever changing and ever intriguing pattern. The horror film vocal samples echo the evil sentiment of ‘Awake’. This is neuro at its twisted, devilish best, and we’d expect nothing less from the mighty label boss that is Jade.

Nymfo

'Crystal Clear '

Spearhead Records

This stunning little number has been played out for a while now, and it’s sure to get those hands raised. Tight, crisp drums roll through the entirety of 'Crystal Clear', cutting through the warm, soft sub which simmers below, while delicate touches of post-R&B paired with more traditional liquid pads combine to create a soothing lullaby. It’s the completely captivating, heart-wrenching vocal that makes this song special, though.

Mitekiss

'Farmost '

Hospital Records

While our speakers are still dripping with remnants of liquid luxury from our absolute rinsing of ‘Some People’, having a new soul soothing beauty from Mitekiss feels like a gentle, post-passion embrace. A smooth and sultry twang of bass guitar brings a natural element to the low-end, which is uplifted with rolling drums and soft teases of piano. But it's the sensual vocal form Hospital regular Emer Dineen which really breathes an alluring chemistry into the track.

Murdock

'I Need A Riddim'

V Recordings

As the organiser behind the world famous, record-breaking Rampage, Murdock knows a thing or two about setting the dance alight. One for the seasoned junglists, the track starts in completely different territory to its final destination, with electric riffs and tribal drums, before a floor shattering bassline makes way for multiple breaks, seamlessly blended to create a chaotic and nostalgic ride. This beast of a track is a rolling delight designed to bring maximum fire. Big tune!

Stoner

'Neurohack'

NËU Music

Italy has a new rising star and he goes by the name of Stoner. Contrary to what this producer's moniker suggests, this track is anything but mellow and quiet. From the outset, ‘Neurohack’ grabs the attention with its anthemic, hands-in-the-air style and neuro synths, before settling into a hard and fast, itchy tech influenced beat pattern. Then comes the unexpected punch of jump up. The uncomplicated, bouncy and heavy distorted pattern gives a real grimy grit and an intense, lose your senses energy.

Annix

'Power Chords'

Playaz

Playaz welcomes back label favourites Annix for another smasher. A slow-moving monster of a track, ‘Power Chords’ is destined to bring the energy. The low-end gives us a dirtily distorted, almost continuous rumble, offset by the stepping beat pattern. The track is brought to life by the bubbling melody, which pops away at alternating pitches and is juxtaposed with the dark, techy stabs of neuro laden noise. Other tracks on this EP find them collaborating with bossman DJ Hype, Eksman and Teddy Killers to almighty effect.

Quickies

Naiive

'Fragments '

Terabyte Records

Naiive hasn’t had an outing on Terabyte since 2015, but he’s back with his 'Scars' EP, and ‘Fragments’, which fits the bill of techy roller to a T. Distorted, warping bass, soft eerie pads and shuffling percussion all feature.

Benny V & K-Warren

'Feel The Fire (Blade Runner Remix)'

Dance Concept

A naughty little number for the summer months, with quick, sharp jungle breaks, a drawn out, reverberating sub and a catchy female vocal creating a killer mix of accessible hook and authentic dirt.

Artist Top 10

Bop

Med School

1. Fixate & Skeptical 'The Rig Monkey' Exit Records
"I love and play almost every tune by these producers, and this collab is no exception. The halftime triplet vibe on this one is just phenomenal."
2. Fracture'Take You' Astrophonica
"Ravey and old skool-ish tune with the toppest production out there. I just can’t resist playing it out almost every set."
3. Camo & Krooked'The Sloth (Shield Remix)' Mosaik
"Another funky anthem from halftime wizard and Instagram comedian Shield."
4. Monty'Random Conduct' 1985 Music
"Really enjoy playing tracks by Monty in my sets. Always deep, groovy and DJ friendly material."
5. Ivy Lab'Astral Pirate Theme' 20/20 LDN
"Probably the craziest tune I’ve ever heard from the trio (now duo). It’s super hard to mix, but very fun to play."
6. Circuits'Designer Drugs' Critical Music
"A great example of a minimalistic dancefloor roller."
7. Bop'Untitled Pattern 52' Med School
"One more experiment with the hybridisation of d&b and dub techno by yours truly. It probably has the heaviest bass I ever had in my tracks."
8. Groves'Tengmo Rah' Exit Records
"This dude came out of nowhere and killed it with his sudden EP on Exit Records, pure dubstep vibes on 170bpm, love it."
9. Abstract Elements 'Zinaida' Invisible Recordings
"The first tune where I’m playing the saxophone."
10. Bop x Subwave'Clair De Lune' Microfunk Music
"I’m really happy I had a chance to make this collab with Subwave and got to release it on my label."